Turkey's Parliament approves 12th Judicial Package, adds IBAN victim penalty cuts

The Turkish Grand National Assembly’s Justice Committee accepted the “12th Judicial Package,” a reform bill comprising 30 provisions. Key changes include:

• Removal of a clause that barred the Court of Cassation (Yargıtay) from overturning first‑instance judgments except for incompetence or lack of jurisdiction. • A new requirement that creditors must submit a written request to the administration, providing bank account details, before initiating enforcement proceedings against public entities. • Revised procedures for the auction of inheritance‑related property, limiting the first auction to heirs and making the method a one‑time measure. • Elimination of the exemption that previously freed certain shareholders from posting guarantees in joint‑sale auctions, and a 5 % administrative fine for bidders who fail to pay the winning amount on time. • Introduction of a half‑sentence reduction for individuals convicted of fraud who only facilitated the crime by sharing a bank account or IBAN, with the amendment applied retroactively to pending cases. The reduction does not apply to organized‑crime participants. • Updates to digital‑evidence handling, computer‑data preservation, and limits on the use of “HAGB” (suspension of sentence execution) for torture‑related offenses.

Overall, the package seeks to streamline judicial processes, improve efficiency in debt recovery, and address public concern over IBAN‑related scams while preserving stricter penalties for organized fraud.